


Imperishable

by AliOfValhalla



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Belonging, Complicated Relationships, Friends to Lovers, Glory days - Freeform, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, Memories, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Talon - Freeform, request, time jumps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-03-23 00:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliOfValhalla/pseuds/AliOfValhalla
Summary: After developing a friendship with Tracer, you finally feel like you belong in Overwatch. As feelings develop and things within Overwatch change, what will happen to you and your favourite girl?Requested by TastyChicken.





	1. Recalling The Saviour

**Author's Note:**

> Requested on my one-shots collection. I don't know how long this will be, but I hope this first chapter is good enough for you, TastyChicken! I will have the next one up in due time! 
> 
> I apologize for any canon or timeline inaccuracies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You think about that mission in Kazakhstan...

_The glory days of Overwatch, that's when you'd joined. At first, you'd found it hard to fit in and truly feel part of the family. But then there was her. Lena. She was the one that made you feel that you belonged. After that mission in Kazakhstan, everything fell into place._

\----------------------------------------------

"Agent Y/N, you are assigned to Lt. Wilhelm's team and will be covering the East sector alongside agents Kim, Rochester, Weitz and Belasco."

As Captain Amari listed your teammates, she nodded pointedly at each one as they stood in loose formation around you. Lieutenant Wilhelm gave her a nod and ordered his team to follow him.

You spent the rest of that day and the coming few weeks perfecting a plan to infiltrate a village under attack  from a small group of rebel omnics in the North West of Kazakhstan. You'd learnt all about the omnics and where and how they operated. You'd learnt about the human rebel militia known as воины (Warriors). They were known to frequent the area, but they were a problem for a different day and Amari stated they were not expected to be a threat on this particular mission...

Oh. How wrong she'd been.

\--------------------------------------------

After just 14 hours, the village was secured; the omnic threat eradicated by the three teams sent in by Overwatch. You doubted if all three were even needed. The mission was an easy success...almost too easy.

As your team headed back towards the rendezvous point, Agent Ji Su Kim alerted the group to a noise. You'd known Kim from basic training. You remembered how she impressed everyone with her inhuman hearing abilities. She stopped suddenly and signalled for you all to lay low. Out in the middle of nowhere, with no civilian activity, she'd obviously heard something that had spooked her. Your eyes scanned the area, gun at the ready, but you saw nothing...not yet.

Then you heard it; a bird-like, whistling call coming from the right of your group. Almost instinctively, Reinhardt put up a shield, facing the direction of the sound. Your team readied themselves behind it. You saw Agent Kim from the corner of your eye turn slightly as if listening to something on your left, but before you could even enquire, you heard a call answering the first.

All of a sudden, you were under fire. воины.

Your team fought and pushed. From what you could tell, there were about six militia ahead and to your left, using a ridge in the landscape to their advantage. On your right, there were at least another four using a burnt out van and bits of sheet metal as cover between laying shots into your team. One of those shots slipped by and hit Belasco in the shoulder. You lay down covering fire to support your team's medic, Rochester, on her way to heal him and as you did, you heard Lieutenant Wilhelm warning, "Barrier won't hold forever!"

This was bad. You were all out in the open; a teammate down and your cover fading fast. You needed to think promptly. Come on. Think, think, think. Looking around frantically, you noticed a small ditch barely big enough for two bodies to the right and a few paces back. Whilst your Lieutenant worked on keeping you shielded, you took charge and ordered Rochester to help get Belasco and herself into that ditch behind.

You were successful. With Kim and Weitz laying down covering fire and Wilhelm acting as a shield, Rochester and Belasco were out of direct fire. Now you had to eliminate the threat. Being known as a skilled marksman, you'd really appreciate some high ground at this point, but you knew it wasn't an option, you'd just have to see what you could do. Wilhelm had ordered the team to find cover before his shield broke. You were pushing back alongside Kim and Weitz with Reinhardt using the last of his protective barrier, walking backwards behind you.

The team pushed back behind a long boulder, even further back than the ditch Rochester was treating Belasco's wounds in. In fact, as you poked your head over the rock, you saw  the two a few feet away briefly, before a bullet whizzed by your head and you dropped back down. An idea struck you then. You ran it past Lt. Wilhelm and he praised your quick thinking.

Reinhardt and Weitz would act as a distraction, using their heavy armour to protect them. You and Kim would flank the group of six. Kim would listen for reloads and you would act on every opportunity to take one out at a time from behind their position.

It was working. You'd taken out four of the six, but as you turned to take a shot at the fifth reloading militia, you noticed beyond them, you other four rebels moving from their position behind the van towards Rochester and Belasco's ditch. You aimed at the leader, but before you squeezed the trigger all four of them were blasted into oblivion as you heard the familiar sound of a pulse bomb. You then heard a recognizable voice zip by you, "The cavalry's here!"

You looked up to see Lena flash you a wink before she almost glitched towards the remaining two militia in front of your position and took them out with such speed and precision. All you could do was watch in awe as she made her way closer to you and an equally amazed Kim whose mouth was already open before she started to speak, "Wow, Tracer. I knew you were fast, but even I didn't hear you coming!"

"All in a day's work. Let's get back to the dropship, yeah?"

\------------------------------------------------

All three teams made in back to the dropship with only two wounded in total and Belasco and the other agent were both going to be okay. You slouched slightly in your seat as you watched Lena cheerily chat with Kim opposite you. You couldn't help but be enamoured by Lena. She amazed you in so many ways. When she looked up and caught you staring, your head dropped to gaze at your fidgeting fingers in your lap as you felt a blush creep its way up your cheeks.

Lena grinned.


	2. Recalling The Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You remember the friendship you formed.

_In the months following the Kazakhstan mission, Lena made it her own personal mission to get you to open up. It took a lot of effort on her side, but you couldn't help but feel perfectly comfortable and a hundred percent yourself around the bubbly brit. You felt at home at Overwatch now. You felt at home with her._

\------------------------------------------------

The dropship landed back at base. You stood from your sitting position on a rock to the left of the landing area. The team had been on a month long mission. The team including Lena.

As members of Overwatch filed out of the aircraft, your eyes scanned their features for the familiar brown eyes and choppy hair of your best friend. You could tell that some of them were injured by bandages and slings and splints; you just hoped she was okay.

Then...you saw her. A large, cheery smile covering her face the way it always did. The same smile that caused your heart to flutter against the confines of your ribcage. Your mind drifted to thoughts of seeing it in your waking moments every morning; the sepia glow of sunlight painting her face with a striking glow. She spotted you then and began to race towards you, giving you just enough time to shake yourself out of your daydream and smile back at her.

She arrived at your side with a friendly nudge of her elbow, "Hey there, love! You alright?"

You beamed, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? How did your mission go?"

She chuckled a little, "Never mind that! You hungry?"

"Yeah, a little."

"I'm starving, let's go eat!"

You followed as she pulled you inside and around the corridors of the base towards the mess hall. All the while, you watched her with a smile filled with adoration; a smile you often wore around her.

\------------------------------------------------

That night, a movie marathon had been organized by McCree and Lena had invited you.

You arrived at the rec room to see Lena trying to mediate an argument over movie choices between Lucio, Hana and Jesse. You noticed Gabriel chuckling around the opening of a beer bottle as he sat on the furthest end of the maroon, leather couch; clearly uninterested in the movie choice. Genji conversed with Kim quietly, both crossed legged on the floor next to a vacant, black beanbag. As you watched the scene before you, you failed to contain an amused snort and Lena noticed, "Y/N!" She turned back to the three having a 'discussion' and silenced them with an uncharacteristic shout, "Hey! How about this? Since Y/N is the newest member of the movie night group, they should choose."

All eyes in the room were suddenly on you and McCree gave a snort, "Alright, I reckon you've got good taste, huh, partner?"

You grinned, "How does 'High Noon' sound?"

He smirked, "I hope you're serious."

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Lena smiling wide at your interaction with Jesse. In truth, seeing you let your guard down and get along with her friends warmed her heart.

\------------------------------------------------

The movie was almost over. Jesse had taken the spot on the black beanbag and engaged Genji and Kim in an explanation of almost every scene. He was still going. The two were polite, but you could tell they were close to sleep. Hana and Lucio had succumbed to the very same nearing an hour ago; huddled together on the opposite end of the couch to Gabriel, you could faintly hear them snoring. The Blackwatch Commander sat with yet another beer in one hand whilst his other propped his head up, resting on the arm of the sofa. You were sat beside Lena on the red loveseat, sharing a beige-coloured, fleece throw.

Halfway through the movie, she had scooted closer to you for warmth and you now sat with an arm around her shoulder as she rested her head in the crook of your neck. No one batted an eyelid. It was normal for the two of you to be so close; it was a good job none of them knew your internal turmoil. On the outside you were calm, but inside...it was a completely different story.

As the credits rolled, Gabriel stood up and stretched. He turned towards you and Lena and quietly spoke, "I'm heading to bed, don't be too late, kids." He winked as he walked away with a small wave.

As soon as they had the opportunity without being rude, Genji and Kim took their respective routes to their rooms in a desperate attempt to escape McCree's post-movie excitement. The cowboy was about to start gushing about the movie, but as he looked at you a quiet realisation hit him. He stood and nodded politely towards you and Lena before bidding you goodnight.

Then you were alone.

You turned off the TV and put aside the remote. Looking down at Lena, you noticed that at the exact same time, she'd peered up at you. A moment of comfortable silence encased you both then. No words were spoken. The long-shared feelings between you two did all of the talking. Lena lifted her head from your neck and moved to be face to face with you, the hand she'd placed on your chest to help herself up staying exactly where it was. For a split second your eyes flitted to her lips. You wondered if she noticed. You figured she had when a coy smile graced her face and she returned the gesture. Your eyes held each other's again for what seemed like a lifetime, before you moved and time stopped.

You placed one hand on her cheek and your other snaked around to the back of her head to gently bring her closer. One of hers stayed on your chest, the other began to play with the hair at the base of your head as your lips finally connected. Electricity sparked throughout your whole body causing it to shudder ever-so slightly. You weren't sure if she felt it, but it didn't seem to faze her. The kiss intensified and you had to pull away to catch your breath.

Your foreheads met as your eyes met her again. Nothing was more beautiful to you and never would be; something in those eyes left you breathless, just as you thought air was returning to you.

She whispered, "We should probably get to bed."

"Probably."

She stood then and you followed. There was another silence as you stood staring at each other for a minute...then she took your hand carefully and headed towards her room. Your eyes studied her as you followed, the way they always did, and you realised then that you would follow her anywhere.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, the first few chapters are going to be memories from reader, starting each one with the italic memory trigger. Then the chapters will switch to Lena's P.O.V. Don't worry, all will become clear soon! Hope you're enjoying!


	3. Recalling The Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You remember a time when you discovered a whole new meaning to the word 'home'.

_Four months since the fateful movie night and you and Lena had settled into an unspoken 'friends with benefits' kind of relationship. You'd spend select nights in one another's rooms. No one ever spoke about it; no one felt a need to. It was there and it was something. It felt good. It felt good to just be with her by any means possible, so why change it? Lately though, things had kind of changed. You'd often spend the morning after together; cuddling, kissing, telling each other stupid jokes. You'd sometimes risk small touches or cheek pecks in the corridors. Something was different recently._

You woke to the intrusive golden light bleeding in through the open, forgotten blinds of your quarters and into your unready pupils. As if it were instinct, you went to rub your bleary eyes, but found that your right arm was trapped under something...or rather someone. You smiled at a sleeping Lena as she lay with her back towards you, your arm under her head and your legs tangled together. You noticed the bunched up fabric of her t-shirt where your left hand had lay during the night; grasping to her waist as if she disappear otherwise. You replaced said hand and slowly stroked her side as you listened to the faint, soft breaths she exhaled.

She shifted backwards slightly until her back couldn't be closer to your chest and huffed a sleepy sigh. She whispered without opening her eyes, "G'morning."

You grinned, still studying every inch of her that you could see, "Good morning." You allowed her another few minutes of peacefulness before you asked, "Sleep well?"

She turned in your grasp, opened her eyes and snuggled as close to you as humanly possible before replying through a soft yawn, "Always do with you."

Your smile never faded as you spent the morning like that. Her buried in your chest openly inhaling the scent of you as you gently combed your fingers through her hair and tickled her neck.

Days off were the best days.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Lena had left you with a lingering kiss on your lips about half an hour ago. She'd received and message from Winston asking for  help with something in his lab. You'd stayed in bed, starfished, staring at the ceiling thinking about the only thing that was ever on your mind lately.

Her.

You remembered how you'd compared the feeling of being with her to the feeling of coming home. That feeling had only intensified over the past months. In fact, that sense of warmth and belonging would only ever be attached to her now. No building or piece of furniture or decorated room. Only Lena meant home to you. She was your home.

You rubbed your face and sat up to swing your legs off the edge of the bed. You stood and collected your discarded clothes to place into the washing basket and headed into the small, adjoining bathroom.

\----------------------------------------------------------

The tepid water cascaded over your naked form as you stood in the shower; eyes closed, savouring the warmth and calm of it. As usual all you saw behind your eyelids was Lena, but this time they were images of last night. The way she lay before you atop your bed in nothing but a pair of tiny, white panties before you swooped down to rob her form of the only piece of fabric covering it. The way she giggled and bit her lip and glanced down at you, eyes half-lidded as you did so. Her brown eyes watching you through the gap between her breasts as you slowly slid them down the smooth skin of her legs. The ways she gasped and moaned when you...

Your eyes squeezed tighter as you realised you'd now have to deal with your aching arousal before stepping out of the shower to go on with your routine. 'Worth it', you thought.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Since you'd missed the usual lunch spot, the mess hall where you sat opposite Lena was pretty empty as you'd waited for her to finish up with Winston so that the two of you could eat together. Eating your pasta, you watched her in your peripheral. She'd been staring at you for nearing a straight 5 minutes at least now; picking absentmindedly at the crusty bread roll that was to accompany her soup. You glanced at the uneven pieces of bread now falling on to the table beside her tray as she remained lost in deep thought. You chuckled, snapping her out of her reverie with a slight shake of her head, "You wanna take a picture? It'll last a whole lot longer."

She blushed and offered you a shy smile, "I'm sorry."

She then placed the bread aside and picked up her spoon to begin eating what was now, probably lukewarm soup. You put down your fork and placed a hand on top of her unoccupied one, "Hey, what's up? Everything okay?"

Lena smiled at you again and replaced the spoon in the bowl of untouched soup. She began a few times; hesitating and beginning again. You gave her time to think on what she really wanted to say. She seemed grateful for that as she took a deep breath and temporarily closed her eyes before opening them to look directly into your own, "I've been thinking..." You nodded pointedly, "...about us."

Oh. She didn't want to end this whole thing did she? Whatever _this_ was.

She must've detected the concern on your face as she was quick to add, "...this is not a 'I don't want to do this anymore' speech, you don't have to worry about that."

Your face softened and she giggled. After a few moments, your thumb stroked her hand, "What kind of a speech is it then?" You half-joked with a crooked smile.

Her face grew serious and you momentarily worried you'd offended her. She grabbed your other hand so that the two of you now formed a complete circuit, "It's...it's just..."

"You can tell me." You prompted holding in a breath of anxiety over whatever this was about.

She smiled again, a glint in her eye as she took a leap of faith, "It's just that...I think I love you."

You were shocked that was for sure. You'd only ever thought that she enjoyed your company, nothing more, nothing less. Just a bit of fun or stress-relief, never _love_. But you didn't have to think about it to know that you loved her too. You'd known that much for a long time.

You heard her clear her throat and realised you hadn't said anything yet. Quicker than you could register it, you blurted out, "I think I love you too."

She stood, her face bright and her steps quick as she found your side of the table where you stood to meet her. Her arms wrapped around your neck as yours slid around her waist. Just as your lips touched, a beeping sounded from both yours and Lena's comm devices. You rolled your eyes and retrieved the source of the annoying beep from your pocket as she did the same. You'd been called to an urgent meeting by Morrison, Reyes and Amari. Something about Omnics and King's Row. The two of you shared a puzzled look before heading to the meeting room hand-in-hand.  

In that moment, something struck you; a song in your brain and a twitch in your heart. Whatever happened next, you knew you'd always find your way back home.


	4. Recalling The Strain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting a little messy within Overwatch...and almost everyone is feeling it.

_Things had changed after that meeting. The mission they'd code named 'Uprising' had put a tremendous weight upon Overwatch as an organization and the UN were only adding to that pressure. Even after months, it was breaking relationships apart; Jack and Gabriel, Overwatch and Blackwatch...you and Lena. It was driving people away from what they used to fight for. It was driving people away from the family. You'd spent the morning convincing Jesse to stay and fight at least a little longer, but you weren't sure he'd be there when breakfast was served tomorrow. Now, you sat in the gardens of the watchpoint, looking out across the sea, wondering if things could ever go back to how they'd been._

A slow-moving set of footsteps broke through the calming sound of the ocean and the joyful calling of the naive sand martins that flitted overhead. You didn't turn, but the footsteps stopped just behind where you were sat next to an old tree, "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

You nodded and slowly turned your head to smile lightly at Ana. She'd been somewhat of a motherly figure to you of late and you appreciated her kindness. She lay a gentle hand on your shoulder, "It'll be alright, Y/N."

She stated it as though it were absolute fact, and even so, you weren't inclined to believe her, "You really think so? Or do you just think that's what I need to hear to stop me from moping?"

She chuckled slightly and gave your shoulder a few taps before taking a seat beside you, "Did you speak to Lena like I suggested yesterday?"

You looked directly at her and her face changed. You were sure it was because she could see the sadness and fear and uncertainty in the depths of your eyes, "Yes."

"...and?" She prompted.

"...and it was just like always. We disagreed about the future of this whole thing and ended up arguing. She and Winston are too optimistic; they aren't going to be prepared when everything crashes down around us all."

Ana frowned, "It is good to be prepared, but there is no guarantee this is the end for Overwatch. We still have people to save and good to do. People will see that. They need us."

You shook your head as it lowered and bit your lip whilst staring at an uninteresting spot of grass, "I just...I just don't want her to get hurt. This means a lot to her...to us. She means a lot to me. I just want her to be more open to other options...just in case...you know?"

Ana nodded and offered you a reassuring smile, "I know. She is headstrong." You laughed lightly in agreement, "What do you want? I mean, what would you want with Lena if Overwatch didn't exist?"

You look back at her again, "I...I don't know...I." A pause, "I suppose I'd want us to be happy together; how we were. Maybe...maybe buy an apartment...no, a house somewhere far away with friendly locals and nice weather..." Ana smiled warmly as she listened and watched a familiar fondness grow on your features, "We'd get a puppy or a kitten...I'd let her decide. She could name it too. We'd spend lazy summer nights out in our own garden lay beside each other watching the stars, reminiscing about old times, stealing little kisses. We'd just live the simple life, you know? We'd be...home."

Ana nodded and you both cast your gazes out across the ocean again as the waves began to grow bigger and crash against the cliffs. The gentle afternoon breeze was getting stronger. A few minutes passed before she asked, "Have you told her that you're heading to the Swiss HQ next week?"

You sighed and ran a hand down your face, "Not yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been so absent lately. I'm trying.


	5. Away From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is devastated about what happened to you, but she knows the world still needs her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Tracer's POV.

She wished she had hugged you. She wished she had made sure you knew how much you meant to her. She wished she hadn't yelled and fought with you. She wished you were here.

Lena sat atop the newly washed bed sheets with her knees up to her chest and her arms thrown protectively around them. Her full suitcases and bags lay beside the door. Shards of glass that used to be a mirror still littered the floor, reflecting only in the orange glow the single lit candle provided. Another droplet fell from her face to soak through the civilian jeans she wore. It'd been two weeks and she swore it was the worst fourteen days of her life.  

A sudden loud knock on the door of her quarters shook her from her reverie. Winston's voice followed from behind that same door, "Lena, are you alright?"

She sniffled and wiped the tears from her face before getting up to answer him. Carefully manoeuvring around the broken glass and picking up the thrown deodorant can that'd smashed it, she slowly opened the door to see her gorilla friend waiting patiently there. He smiled sympathetically at her and she tried with all her might to return it, "I'm okay, Winston. I just have a few more things to pack and then I'm ready to go."

"That's good to hear. You know that you can talk to me, don't you?"

She dropped her gaze to the floor for a few moments, then lifted it again to regard her friend, "I know...and I will...I just need this time, you know?"

Winston nodded, "Well, I'll will always be here for you. You have been a great friend to me and I hope that I can return the favour adequately."

Lena sighed and moved forward to hug him, whispering into his shoulder, "You are far more than an adequate friend. You're the best, Winston."

\------------------------------------------------

She was off. She stared into and through the  cushiony-looking clouds below and around the plane, wondering to herself what was happening to the millions of people in the world below. Did any of them feel like her? Would any of them ever know the pain she knew? She hoped, for the sakes, that they never did.  

Winston had suggested she go back to England for a while to reflect and recuperate after losing you in the Swiss HQ explosion. At first, she'd refused, but the more she was reminded of moments with you at the watchpoint, the more she realised it might be good for her to get away. She hesitated again when she heard that the UN were considering disbanding Overwatch and putting in place an item of law named the Petras Act, which would make any and all Overwatch activity illegal; she didn't want to leave Winston to deal with that alone, but he insisted it was better that she rested. She was grateful to still have him to turn to when everything and everyone else she knew was disappearing faster than she could comprehend.

This didn't mean she was giving up. No, Lena would never give up on bringing peace to war torn lands, or helping people in crisis. The world still needed heroes...and Tracer wasn't done yet.

 ------------------------------------------------

_It'd been over a year since Lena left the watchpoint. Now, she was back._

_Winston had issued an Overwatch recall after news of casualties of the second omnic crisis and an infiltration of the base by none other than the infamous Reaper. Lena answered immediately...she was ready to be Tracer again...that hero she'd always been. Winston was more than happy to have his old friend back, but there was work to be done. The French president was in danger, and Lena was not about to let another good man fall victim to Talon just as Mondatta had._

"Are you ready, Agent?" Winston asked, feigning a serious commander-esque voice, though he failed to hide his smile.

Lena blinked onto the ship and called out to him, "I'm always ready, big guy!"

She saluted to the gorilla before hearing him chuckle as she closed the doors and began her ascent. She asked Athena to open comms and continued, "...besides, who else is gonna do it?"

Winston laughed through the comms unit, "There's no one more capable than you, Tracer."


	6. A House Is Not A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena comes face to face with a Talon operative sent to kill the French President.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Tracer's POV

_Lena had been in France now for a week and had met with the President and his associates. They'd welcomed her warmly, and the president had expressed his dismay over the disbandment of the Overwatch organisation and stressed how very much he wished for the UN to drop the Petras Act and 'bring back the world's heroes'. She didn't let him know, but behind a hopeful smile, Lena knew that ex-agents were returning to the fight after Winston's recall. Right now, she was focused on her mission. The fear was that he, President Yanis St. Pierre, would be targeted by talon at an upcoming press conference and Tracer swore she'd do anything in her power to stop that. With Athena and Winston on call, she was ready._

"Right this way, Mr. President."

Lena followed behind as part of St. Pierre's entourage as they made their way to the public press conference in Nanterre. So far, there were no problems or reason to believe they were being tracked. The place had been checked and checked again by Lena and the President's trusted security team. No sign of an assassin, no unusual or suspicious people or behaviour. After all, it had been only a fear born from rumours and not high risk, but they had to be safe just in case.

Although Tracer had been on high alert; Winston in her ear, relaying any and all intel he had, the press conference went by without a hitch. The president was escorted back outside of the building where his limousine waited by the side of the road to take him back to his residence. The first to step out, disguised as a security guard, Lena nodded at the omnic driver as the president and the group around him headed down the grand steps of the building onto the long path leading to the road. The omnic returned it with a respectful salute.  It seemed his gaze flitted to an upstairs window of the building, but before Lena could inspect what had caught his attention...

Everything went horribly wrong.

There was a loud bang and then blackness. Lena was thrown backwards into what she assumed was another human being. The president? One of his security? She didn't know. Her eyes temporarily blinded and her ears ringing; she blinked and stuttered as she tried to return to an upright position. Once her hearing returned she could faintly hear herself calling the president's name over the panicked screams and shouts of civilian onlookers. She turned as she stumbled, finally finding her footing, to see the president in a similar state to herself. He was confused and felled, but seemingly, mostly unharmed. She rushed to him as a crackling sounded in her ear before Winston's voice replaced it, "Lena? Lena, come in? What is going on?"

She yelled for the security to get the president to safety before glancing around the scene quickly and replying to her friend, "The limo...his limo blew up. It was checked by...someone on the inside is working with Talon..." As the realisation hit her, she hurried into the building where the president had been taken. She continued to explain her theory between breaths as she ran, "I was going to check the car for explosives or anything...suspicious, but...the omnic driver and...head of security...Bianca...Bianca Masson...they said they'd check it...the president trusts them...he has done for years...but..."

She rounded the corner to see the president being handed a glass of water by a disgruntled bodyguard she'd come to know as Enzo Romilly. The president addressed him, noticing a small abrasion on his left cheek and blood coming from his right ear, "Mr. Romilly, you need to see the paramedic."

As if on cue, a team of four paramedics entered from a room further into the building, "I'm okay, sir. I only wish to know that you are safe."

The president directed one of the paramedics to look over Enzo and peeked around the room, "Where is Ms. Masson?"

Lena made her own investigation of the room and noticed Bianca was indeed, missing. A thought struck her then. She turned to the other two members of St. Pierre's security team, "Angelica, Thierry, did you see Bianca leave the building after the press conference?"

They answered in tandem, "Non."

Lena hadn't seen her leave either, assuming that she was watching the president's back. Something clicked within her, "Ms. More, Mr. Romilly and Mr. Rey, do not leave the president unprotected. Take shifts whilst the paramedics look you over."

By this time police units and ambulances were swarming the front side of the building, cordoning off the area and helping civilians who had been caught up in the explosion and its aftermath.

Tracer blinked her way out of the room and up a twisted staircase. She navigated her way towards the room which held the window that had caught the attention of the omnic limo driver. As she neared the door of the unused room, she heard hushed arguing. The voice she had come to know as Bianca's snapped in a whisper, "He wasn't supposed to detonate unless you had missed the shot...did you signal him early? What was he thinking?"

Then another voice; distorted, but oddly familiar, showed no emotion in its monotone response, "I don't know. Shame we can't ask the dead tin can what he was thinking. Then again, are omnics ever really _alive_ in the first place?"

A chuckle followed the question and Bianca sighed, exasperated. As they continued to 'talk', Lena took out her comms unit and typed a message to Winston. She then typed one to Enzo:

**Send police to first floor, Room 189...quietly.**

She tuned her hearing back into the hushed conversation.

"Thanks to this screw up, the president is still alive and I have to explain why the Hell his head of security wasn't protecting him. Not to mention the explaining I'll have to do when we get back to Talon."

"We'll get it done. I'll go down there and put a bullet between his eyes right now if you'd like?"

You could hear an unmistakable smirk in that voice...and it was pissing Bianca off, "Tu es fou! They told me you were emotionless, but they failed to mention you were completely brain dead. You can't go down there and just shot him now, espèce d'idiot! The place is swarming...which is why you have to go...NOW. I'll make up some excuse about checking the upper floors for a detonation device. ALLER!"

Lena heard footsteps heading towards her from both the other side of the door and from the stairs. Bianca opened the door to be faced by Tracer flanked by armed police. Bianca tried to run, but Lena blinked behind her and explained to the police that she should be arrested for conspiracy to assassinate the president as she held her for the police to apprehend.

Lena had almost forgotten about the other person in the room until the window smashed behind her. She watched as a masked figure dressed in black jumped from the window and grappled onto a walkway of the building opposite, "I got this one!" She called before blinking her way out of the window and across to the same walkway.

Zipping and weaving and blinking through the streets and across the buildings of Nanterre, Tracer chased the anonymous assassin, never losing sight of her goal. She had taken her pulse pistols out mid-chase. Although she knew the Talon operative would have to stay alive for questioning, she had no idea who she was going up against and had to protect herself.

Rounding a corner, the assassin dropped into a walled in alleyway with only one exit. Lena seized her chance and blocked the Talon operative's only way out, "Gotcha!"

The assassin chuckled and tried to escape by pushing Lena to the ground. Her quick reflexes kicked in (thanks to training with Genji) and she tripped the assailant with her leg as they tried to move past her. She pinned the assassins hand with her foot as she stood. She kicked away their gun and aimed her own at their masked face, "You gonna come calmly or am I gonna have to make ya?"

The assassin's head tilted to the side for a second, "You've never had a problem with making me come."

Lena was stunned into silence as the words confused her. This gave her attacker the perfect opportunity to tackle her to the ground and reach for the abandoned gun. She struggled against the looming body over her and kicked and squirmed to free herself. As they reached for the gun that was once meant to assassinate President St. Pierre, Lena managed to kick her right leg out, connecting with the mask that hid the face of the Talon operative.

The mask clattered to the ground. The would-be-assassin turned briefly to glance at Lena before taking the opportunity to pick up their gun and flee.

Lena lay in shock. Unable to move or feel or respond to Winston's insistent questioning over comms. She just stared into the space where she'd caught a glimpse of the Talon assassin's face. Every thought now running through her mind; a memory. A memory of love or joy or a memory of dinner in the white mess hall or stargazing in the ocean-view garden.

The memory of that face.

Your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is taking so long and isn't great.


	7. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As more members of the disbanded Overwatch begin answering the call, Lena has a secret plan that may not sit well with many of them...or, indeed, her friend Winston.

_A week later, and Lena was back with Winston. The French president was safe and under the constant protection of a few recalled members of Overwatch. Bianca Masson was arrested, but so far had not revealed any information about who she worked for or what they hope to achieve from killing President St. Pierre. She had also refused to identify the would-be assassin…but Lena was certain she already knew who that was. Winston, however, doubted the woman’s thoughts and was worried that she was obsessing over something that couldn’t be true. It couldn’t have been you…right?_

“I know what I saw, Winston. I more than anyone would recognise them anywhere.” Lena grumbled.

“I don’t doubt that you believe you saw Y/N, but Lena, you were under a lot of stress and I know how much you still miss…”

Lena cut him off, “Yes, I do miss Y/N! That doesn’t mean I’m crazy!”

“I wasn’t suggesting…”

Winston’s attempts at calming her were ignored, “Do you remember what they did to Amelie Lacroix? I heard Bianca say that Talon had told her the assassin was ‘emotionless’. Like Amelie. What if Y/N didn’t d…die. What if they were brainwashed by Talon? Like Amelie. What if I can get Y/N back?”

Winston sighed, “Even if the same thing that happened to Amelie Lacroix happened to Y/N, it’d be almost impossible to reach them. You’d only be putting yourself in danger! You do remember the lengths Jack and Gabriel went to to try and bring back Amelie? Using her memories, emotions. Amelie was no longer there; replaced by Widowmaker.”

“You said ‘almost impossible’. That means there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I’m willing to take it.”

Lena turned and made her way towards the room she was calling her quarters for the time being. Winston watched her for a moment before his eyes closed and he sighed and turned to continue working on locating some more prominent members of the disbanded Overwatch.

\------------------------------------------------

The next day, Lena woke to hear Winston talking to someone in a rather joyous tone. She’d often heard him making conversation with Athena, but this time the voice that responded wasn’t that of a female A.I., although it was familiar. A smile graced her face and she forewent a shower, teeth cleaning, clothing change or even a glance in the mirror to hop out of bed and hurried though her door and down the short corridor to the source of the loud conversation.

As she rounded the corner, her smile widened as she laid her eyes upon exactly who she’d expected to see.

“Jesse!” She yelled as she raced towards him and flung her arms around her old friend.

“Whoa there! Nice to see you too, darlin’!” Jesse chuckled.

She pulled back and let her eyes flit over his form. Somehow he looked even more like a cowboy now…a real old wild west type. She failed to stifle a small giggle as she studied him. Winston smiled at her reaction; it was nice to see her happy again, he thought.

He cleared his throat, “Agent McCree answered the recall. I didn’t expect him so soon, but his travelling meant he was already in the area.”

Lena’s gaze went back to Jesse, “It’s good to see you, no matter how ridiculous you look.”

Jesse smirked, “Now hey, I won’t stand for being bullied around here. I’ll have you know, this is the height of fashion, young miss.”

“Yeah, maybe for an old man making his way through all of the finest saloons in the 1800’s.” She snorted, smile still present.

Jesse laughed, “Alright, alright. How’ve you been anyway? Winston here tells me you’re still fighting the good fight, saving presidents, all that hero stuff.”

The two found seats across a table and talked for hours. Lena explained almost everything as best she could, purposely excluding the part where she thought you were alive and working for Talon. Jesse told her of his adventures and how rough he’d had it with being falsely accused of crimes and never really having a place to call home…how lonely he’d been. Both seemed to make light of their individual situations, making jokes and laughing things off. Despite that, Winston could see that the two were hurting and he only hoped bringing them back together would offer comfort to them the same way it was to him.    

\------------------------------------------------

Later that night, Jesse went to take a shower after being given a tour of the old facility and Lena took the opportunity to do something she’d been wanting to do all day.

She left her room and headed for where Winston spent most of his time these days…his desk. She approached quietly and just before reaching his seat, she whispered, “Winston?”

He turned to her and smiled, “Oh, hey Lena! I didn’t hear you come in.”

She hated that he was always so nice to her, even when she didn’t deserve kindness, “Hey, big guy.”

Lena dropped her gaze to her fiddling thumbs. Winston looked confused, “Is everything okay, Lena?”

She smiled up at him, “Yes! Yeah, I just…wanted to apologize. For yesterday. I was rude to you and I know you’re only trying to help and protect me…I’m sorry.”

The gorilla laughed softly and looked at Lena with friendly, sympathetic eyes, “Don’t apologize! You’re not doing anything wrong by having hope.” He sighed, “Look, I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry for being doubtful about Y/N’s fate. I admire your courage and optimism…I always have. You are a very strong person, Lena. Whatever you decide, I will have your back. I will never give up on you, because I know that you would never give up on me or anyone else. You give me hope that there is still good in this world.”

Lena felt the tears falling before she had time to stop them. She sniffled and wiped them away before approaching and hugging Winston tightly, “I love you, big guy.”

“I…uh…love you too.”

Pulling back and wiping the rest of her tears, Lena spared a glance at Winston’s holoscreen. It showed a map with a red tracking marker in Japan. She pointed at it, “What’s this?”

“You mean, ‘ _who_ is this?’” He smiled, “It’s Genji.”

Lena smiled at the memory of her brooding friend, “Did he answer the recall?”

“Not exactly,” Winston zoomed slightly in on the map, “He’s been spending a lot of time in Nepal since the fall. He did make sure I knew he’d seen the recall request. He then travelled to Japan.”

Lena looked puzzled when she looked at Winston, “Why?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but he is currently located very close to the Shimada Estate in Hanamura, maybe he went to find his brother.”

Lena looked shocked at the suggestion, “Hanzo? He would never…why would he want to do that?”

Winston opened his mouth to respond, but before he could he was beaten to the punch by a southern drawl, “Two dragon-wielding ninjas is better than one, right?”

Lena turned to see a relaxed, shirtless McCree, wearing grey sweatpants; his wet hair dripping onto his bare shoulders. He was almost too comfortable here. She looked up at him, “What do you mean?”

“I think he’s bringing Hanzo with him, darlin’” He lowered his voice, but Lena still heard, “…although I’d love to know how he plans on convincing someone so bleedin’ stubborn.”

She raised an eyebrow in his direction, “How would you know what Hanzo’s like?”

Jesse shifted in his position, “Just a guess…” He cleared his throat and looked up at Lena, “Anyway, I figure Genji’s thinkin’ the same way we are…we’re better together.”

Winston smiled wide, “And Genji’s not the only one who showed an interest. Rochester answered and is heading in our direction, I’ve been receiving muffled and interrupted transmissions from Mei, but can’t quite seem to pick up her location at the moment and Weitz received the call, but for some reason, is currently in France.” Lena gulped. “I expect if Genji returns, Agent Kim won’t be far behind. I recently sent out calls to Reinhardt, Angela and Torbjorn too.”

Lena smiled at the thought of her old friends being reunited and, for the first time in a long time, she felt like things might be okay.

Still, she wasn’t giving up on you just yet.

\------------------------------------------------

It was late. Or rather early. Late/early enough for her to know that Winston would be sleeping by now and she was hopeful that Jesse was still as heavy a sleeper as he was in the good old days. Lena grabbed the gear she’d prepared and headed out of her quarters, gently shutting the door behind her. She dropped a handwritten note off at Winston’s desk and hoped he wouldn’t be too mad with her. She headed down to the hangar and turned on her comm unit, “Weitz? Are you there?”

“Zachariah Weitz reporting, chaser Tracer!” He chuckled.

“Could you actually be serious for once in your life?” Lena said with a smirk that he could almost certainly hear.

“I could, but I’d rather not.” They both laughed briefly, “Anyway, you ready to get this show on the road?”

Lena sighed, a sudden pang of guilt hitting her, “I think so.”

“You think so or you know so? ‘Cause this is kind of a big deal and if we…”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready. I just don’t want to upset Winston…I left him a note, but it just doesn’t feel right that I’ve been keeping this from him for so long. Maybe he could help?”

Weitz sighed sympathetically, “C’mon chaser Tracer! We’ve got a plan. You really think Winston is gonna just allow you to bring a dropship to France so we can find Y/N? You know he wouldn’t. I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to get back into the fray…we got this, Lena! This is gonna work!”

Lena closed her eyes for a brief second then spared a glance back the way she came before walking out towards the dropship. She got everything prepared to pilot the ship and set off as she made Weitz go over his side of the plan for the eighth time since they’d thought it up. She made him go over it again and again until she was certain nothing could go wrong. It couldn’t.

They were going to get you back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again, friends!


	8. A Helping Hand To Guide Us Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weitz has a secret weapon to help Lena find you and bring you home.

Rounding the corner to the rendezvous point, Lena, dressed in her civilian get-up, scanned the area. The meeting place was a hardly-frequented alley behind a small café away from the city centre. The architecture was quaint and romantic, and she couldn’t stop herself imagining being here in an altogether different situation…with you. No one was around. It was quiet; still. That was until Weitz made his grand appearance…

“Boo!” He yelled, grabbing Lena’s sides as he jumped out from behind a grey, stone wall beside her. She gasped and just missed his face with the swing she took at him, “Hey! Woah! Good job I can still dodge like Shimada” He chuckled.

Lena sighed and gave him a scolding look, before it turned into an amused smile. She hugged him, “You’re an idiot, Zachariah.”

“Well, if that were true, would I have been able to gather all of the top-secret intel I have on Talon?”

He looked at her smugly as he took a step back, the ever-present smirk on his face more prominent than usual. Lena thought for a second; now that he’d mentioned it, it did seem strange that he had so much useful information about Talon’s whereabouts, members, activity. How had he managed all of that alone?

She quirked an eyebrow at him, “Who’s helping you?” She folded her arms across her chest, “Is it Belasco? He was always good at staying hidden.”

Weitz scoffed, “What, you mean like that time in Kazakhstan when he got hit practically before the firefight had even started?”

“That was one time.” She unfolded her arms and rested her hands on her hips, “Anyway you didn’t answer the question. Who’s…”

Before she could finish, a woman around her own age, build and height stepped out from behind the wall. She was clad in a tight-fitting grey tank top and slightly darker grey leggings. Lena was envious of her black, white and silver hi-top trainers. Over the tank top, her upper body adorned an open, black, zip-up hoodie which displayed some sort of teal-coloured ‘X’ logo on the upper left side. It had fallen slightly off her right shoulder revealing the start of a tattoo which appeared to be some sort of code, which presumably, continued down her arm. Eyes trailing upwards, Lena first noticed the shiny, silver nose ring that pierced her left nostril. She noted that the woman’s blue eyes were only accentuated further by her slightly tanned skin and winged eyeliner. A teal streak in the front of her platinum blonde bob, matched the colour of her hoodie logo almost perfectly. She looked between the two friends in front of her with a smirk before turning fully towards Lena and offering her a smile with bright, faultless teeth, “I knew you were smarter than to believe he’d done this on his own.”

Lena recognised the accent as Scandinavian; maybe Finnish, she wasn’t certain. She looked from the woman to Weitz, who rolled his eyes and gestured between the two women, “Lena this is Proxy…her Mama didn’t give her that name, but that’s not important. What _is_ important is that she knows things…like, everything.”

Lena turned back to the woman, who was now extending a hand in greeting. She took it, “Proxy? Nice to meet you, I’m…”

“Lena Oxton, 26 years old, member of the secret, _and illegal_ , newly reformed Overwatch. Former pilot fascinated with travel and the wider world. Born and raised in London, England.”

Lena’s mouth opened and closed like a guppy. She dropped the woman’s hand and gave her a slight, unsure smile before turning to face Weitz, “Did you have to tell her my life story or…”

“Oh, I didn’t even have to tell her your name.” Weitz sneered.

Lena looked confused as her gaze flitted between the two smirking people before her. She shook her head in the hopes of clearing it and asked, “What do you mean?”

The woman, Proxy, raised her eyebrows at Weitz who grinned and replied, “She’s a know-it-all.” That earned him a punch to the arm from Proxy. He mouthed the word ‘ow’ whilst rubbing the offended area before continuing, “She’s really smart, like, really smart. She knew about my German grandpa running away to America to marry my Jewish grandmother…about my father, my sisters, my childhood dog. She knows how to hack pretty much everything. She can get into places undetected easier than you can blink out of ‘em. She has ways of gathering people’s deepest, darkest secrets…including Talon’s.” Lena spared a glance at Proxy, who was now absent-mindedly looking around the area and watching geese fly overhead, “You’ve heard of Sombra, right? Talon’s mastermind hacker?” Lena nodded, “Well, Proxy is her…but better. You thought no-one could find out that bitch’s real name, huh? Well guess what? It’s Olivia.”

Proxy turned back to the conversation and smiled once again at Lena who was staring in disbelief, “You hacked the world’s greatest known hacker?”

“I did. She may be the world’s greatest _known_ hacker, but that’s where she went wrong…I’m the world’s greatest _unknown_ hacker.”

\------------------------------------------------

Proxy and Weitz had led Lena to an apartment and the former was currently entering some sort of advanced code to get into the basement. On the way, she had gotten to know her a little better. She was funny, sarcastic, chilled, but never took her eye off her goal…Lena now understood why Weitz liked her so much.

A click signalled the unlocking of the door. Proxy opened it and gestured inside, “Welcome to my hub.”

Weitz waltzed inside like it was his own home and took up a seat on a bright yellow beanbag in the back left corner of the room. Lena stepped inside more cautiously, taking everything in. The walls were brick, painted white with strips of colour-changing LEDs lining the bottom and tops of each wall. The wall opposite Lena, the back wall, had the same teal 'X' logo from Proxy's hoodie painted smack-bang in the middle of it. The floor was natural grey concrete, but a red, fluffy rug only slightly smaller than the area of the entire room covered most of it. Proxy walked by Lena and headed over to a set up of three large, blue and silver desks housing multiple keyboards, monitors and screens against the entirety of the right wall. Where there were no computers on the desks, the spare space was littered with wrappers, packets and soda cans. Proxy sat down in a large, black leather swivel chair and got to work on something Lena knew nothing about. She switched her gaze to Weitz who had now settled into the beanbag and was eating a bag of skittles he’d produced from somewhere. He caught her looking, “Proxy’s gotta do some work before we lay down the plan, but make yourself comfortable…grab a drink.”

He pointed to Lena’s left, by the door she was standing in front of. Lena followed the line and saw he was pointing to a mini fridge and a full vending machine. She opened the fridge and took a bottle of water before making her way over to sit in the bright green beanbag next to Weitz’ yellow one. She glanced at Proxy before turning back to Weitz just as a skittle hit his tooth after he’d attempted to catch it in his mouth. He winced. She chuckled. He turned to her and sneered, before she spoke, “What’s she working on?”

“She wants to make sure the tracking we have on our special members of Talon is still going undetected. You see, she knows their patterns now, but it’s always best to know if they’re changing their routine, you know?” He said around a mouthful of rainbow.

He was so relaxed here, it made Lena wonder how long he’d been working with this hacker, “So, how’d you meet Proxy?”

Weitz swallowed his mouthful and glanced over at the girl in question before snapping his eyes back to Lena’s face. He smiled, “You know I became a vigilante of sorts shortly after the fall?” Lena nodded, “Well, there was some political upset in Finland around that time and I thought, ‘why not start there?’ So, I headed to Finland to see what I could do. It’s a long story, but there, I found Proxy. She was helping a rebel group who were trying to prove that the government was corrupt…”

Without taking her eyes off what she was doing, Proxy interrupted him with a shout, “We weren’t trying, we were succeeding!”

Weitz laughed, “Anyway, obviously, Proxy was easily able to get all the incriminating evidence she needed and that’s when President Mäkinen’s scandal was exposed.”

Lena gasped, “You were the one to expose Mäkinen for the evil waste of space he is?”

Proxy laughed heartily, “Yes, indeed I was! All of his cronies too.”

Weitz continued, “So, the group Proxy was with didn’t know how she did it and didn’t care. Mäkinen was gone and that was all they’d wanted from her. Me, however…I knew there was something about her. I asked her to help me fight and right more wrongs…like a double act. Sherlock and Watson…Proxy and Weitz…the brains and the brawn.”

Proxy laughed again, still not turning away from her work, “You are neither brains nor brawn, Zach.”

“Hey!” He protested, throwing a skittle at the back of her head.

Lena joined in the laughter before asking, “So, how did you both get here?”

“Well, Proxy and I found out about the Talon base in France before Winston even had an inkling that the President might be in danger. So, we came here, to Nanterre to try and find it. We know it’s around this commune…we just can’t pinpoint where. Signals get lost etc. We…Proxy suspects that Sombra has somehow been able to cloak the exact location…but she’s working on it.”

“Wait, so you were here when I had my mission to protect President St. Pierre?”

He hesitated temporarily, “Yes. Yes, we were.”

Proxy spun around in her chair, “I wanted to help. I did manage to hack into that omnic driver…I suspect that’s why he blew the limo early. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from doing it at all.”

Weitz spoke up, “We knew all about what Talon were planning…and Proxy wanted to go in and help you, but I…I couldn’t let…” He spared Proxy a glance before sighing.

“You couldn’t risk letting her put herself in danger?”

Proxy looked down at her fiddling thumbs, a blush appearing on her cheeks. Weitz cleared his throat and scoffed, “Yeah, something like that. Sorry, Lena.”

Lena smiled warmly and looked between the two, “Don’t sweat it! It turned out okay in the end.” Weitz looked over at Proxy again as she returned to watching her screens, Lena caught him. She placed a hand on her friend’s knee and whispered so that the girl wouldn’t hear, “I get it. I understand why you couldn’t let her go. I just wish I’d been less stubborn and refused to let Y/N go to the Swiss HQ. I knew something bad was going to happen, I could feel it.”

Lena’s eyes begun to fill with tears. Weitz laid a gentle hand atop hers on his knee, “We’re gonna get them back, Lena. It’s gonna be alright.”

They both jumped when Proxy turned around suddenly and launched onto her feet, “Perfect!”

Weitz furrowed his brow, “What?”

“I just found us the perfect way to get to Y/N…tomorrow night.”

 


	9. Recalling The Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You will find each other.

"Remind me again why Talon are infiltrating a Halloween party."  
  
Proxy turned to Lena to answer her question, "It's being hosted by Ansel Dumont, in the courtyard of his mansion. He's this bigwig business guy, into all sorts of dodgy dealings. The authorities can't touch him. He's smart and knows all too well how to cover his tracks. Seems like he had some sort of deal with one of Talon's hotshots and did them wrong. Talon needs info; ways to take him down for wronging them. Either that...or they kill him."  
  
Weitz cut in, "Kill him? 'Cause of a dodgy deal?"  
  
"We're talking about Talon. No one gets away with trying to play them."  
  
Weitz laughed, "And here we are...trying to play them."  
  
Proxy smirked and threw him a wink, "Exactly." She turned back to Lena, "From what I could gather, they're sending in a few agents in Halloween costumes to keep a look out whilst Sombra uses her invisiblity tech to plant bugs and tracking devices inside his mansion and on his personal assets. Y/N will be one of the undercover team and will likely be hanging around the upper floors and balconys. If all else fails, they'll use Y/N's marksmanship skills to take out Dumont."  
  
Lena needed to make sure she understood the plan perfectly, "So, we're disguising ourselves too, right?"  
  
Proxy smiled at her, "How's your French accent?" Before she could answer, a glint of excitement flashed in Proxy's eyes as she made an overexaggerated presentation gesture, "Tonight, we'll be playing the Buvant triplets!" She picked up a large bag from behind her desks and began pulling out costumes and laying them flat on the rug before Lena and Zachariah. When she was done, she stood and admired them with hands on hips.  
  
Lena and Weitz looked over the clothing to see that there were three medieval perfomer costumes. There were three ginger wigs of varying lengths alongside three full costumes, The first was a white blouse, purple vest and white and purple striped puffy trousers which presumably tucked in the brown boots beside them. The look was completed with a plain white, full-face mask and purple beret with a long brown and white feather coming from the left side of it. The second was a similar oufit in green and ivory instead of purple and the third outfit was a red and yellow jester's costume with a gold eye mask and multi-pointed, jingly hat.  
  
Weitz scoffed, "I'm not being the jester."  
  
Proxy spoke through laughter, "Yes you are!"  
  
Lena smiled, but turned back to the issue at hand, "Who are the Buvant triplets?"  
  
Proxy responded, "They're the two daughters and son of Fleur and Alain Buvant, well-known winery and vineyard owners here in France. The siblings were invited and since there are three of us and three of them, I did a little interferring." Lena looked intrigued, so Proxy continued, "I may have sent them some false information regarding the status of their parents on holiday in Italy. The three of them are on a plane, on their way to check on Fleur and Alain as we speak." She looked pleased with herself.  
  
"So, we pretend to be the Buvants to get into the party?" Weitz asked.  
  
"Yes. I even got us fake IDs." She waggled her eyebrows at him, "You'll be Marcel Buvant, our very own jester." She pointed to Lena, then to the green costume, "You'll be Mabelle Buvant, quiet and unassuming. I..." She crouched to touch the silken sleeve of the blouse on the purple costume and smiled up at her companions, "I will be Marianne Buvant, oldest by nine minutes and said to be the most ruthless, stuck-up bitch this side of the equator." She giggled as she stood.  
  
"How do we plan to get Y/N back?" Lena had been itching to ask, as Proxy had not yet explained that small detail.  
  
Proxy cleared her throat and turned more serious again, "If all goes according to plan, I'll be monitoring everything. Apparently, Marianne isn't too popular so I should be okay finding my own little spot and not being bothered. We can communicate through the earpieces I gave both of you. I will also be listening in on Talon's private comms network and updating you accordingly. Zach will be using his acting skills and exquiste French accent to socialise and keep wandering eyes off of his 'sisters'. He'll also be our distraction if needs be." Lena looked and Weitz and he nodded confidently at her. Proxy continued, "You will look for Y/N. As I said, they will likely be on one of the balconys in case they need to shoot Dumont. I know that they'll be dressed as some kind of plague doctor...long black beak and goggles...some real steampunk shit."  
  
"What about Sombra?"  
  
Proxy smirked, "Sombra is only interested in her goals, she won't be a problem. Besides, if she becomes one...I'll deal with her."  
  
"What do I do if...when I find Y/N?"  
  
"You inject them with this." She handed Lena a small syringe from a drawer in her desk. Lena looked at it suspiciously as the blue-tinted liquid sloshed around the chamber and then stared up wide-eyed at Proxy, who smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, it's harmless. Stick 'em in an arm, leg, neck...wherever you can. It'll make them feel drozy, unable to speak. From the outside, they'll look really drunk. I'll make my way outside, excusing myself 'temporarily'. That's when you throw your arm around Y/N and escort them out of the party using the excuse that they're too drunk and need to go home. Hopefully, Zach will buy you enough time distracting the other disguised Talon members to get Y/N outside where I'll be waiting to drive us back here."  
  
"Then what?" Weitz asked.  
  
"Then you catch your taxi home and join us." Weitz began to sulk like a baby and dropped onto one of the beanbags. Proxy rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Lena, "When we get Y/N back here, we start to undo the brainwashing."  
  
Lena furrowed her brow in doubt, "Is that even possible?"  
  
"Well, from what I've heard, Y/N has been a worry since they arrived at Talon," Lena looked curious, "Seems the mind altering didn't go as well as they'd hoped. I'm pretty certain I know all of the cues and techniques to use to get the old Y/N back. While Y/N is not entirely theirself right now, they haven't gone full Lacroix just yet...and even if there's just a small amount of emotion left...there's hope."  
  
She smiled at Lena and lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder before heading over to console Weitz who was whining about being left behind at the party by himself.  
  
Lena stood there alone for a few moments as memories of you flooded her brain. She stared straight forward, not seeing the white wall ahead of her, but instead seeing your face and hearing your laugh as she told a particularly cheesy joke. She barely felt the single tear escape her left eye and slowly cascade down the convexes of her cheek before it dripped from the end of her chin onto the scarlet rug beneath her feet.  
  
\-------------------------------------  
  
Even after getting into the party without a hitch or suspicion, Lena was still not entirely comfortable with this plan. She ascended the stairs as Proxy informed her through her earpiece that you should be stationed on the large, main balcony of the upper floor. Lena had noticed from outside in the courtyard, that the balcony in question had a few meandering party-goers drinking and conversing occupying it. She approached the open doors to the balcony and recieved a few fleeting glances as she made her way out, all the while cautiously looking for a 'steampunk plague doctor' through the holes in her mask.  
  
She leaned slightly over the railing to see Proxy in her pruple and white costume sitting alone and pretending to drink wine at the back of the courtyard. She nodded to Lena and Lena nodded back before turning to scan the large balcony for you.  
  
She sat down on the opposite end of a bench occupied by a kissing couple just as a figure came through the open doors and sauntered over to the railing, watching the party-goers below. Was it really you? Recalling Proxy's information, it sure seemed that way. Lena's palms grew sweaty and she nervously wrung her hands together as she took note of the long beak of the mask and the lenses covering the features of the figure and the dark hood that lay over your head.  
  
She watched you as you watched those below. You turned and Lena swore you looked right at her before you left the balcony and headed inside. Lena stood and quietly informed Proxy and Weitz that she was in pursuit. She followed you down a corridor and round a corner where the plague doctor entered a bedroom. She quickly opened the door and closed it just as fast. She looked at your masked face and you presumably looked back into hers, but before you had the chance to move or speak, Lena lunged and stabbed the small syringe into the neck of the figure before her, whispering that everything would be okay.  
  
Just then she heard a hushed voice from the adjoining bathroom turn into a louder voice as someone flung open the door that seperated the two rooms. Out stepped...wait...another plague doctor? A plague doctor hurriedly talking into a comms device. Lena looked between the figure now approaching her and the one slumped in her arms. She ripped the mask from the one she held and saw a face she didn't recognise. Oh shit. She pushed the incapacitated Talon agent away from her lap and stood, just as the second figure made it's way to stand right in front of her. They stared for a moment before speaking into the comms unit in a chilling tone that hid a familiar voice, "I got myself a little intruder up here."  
  
Lena wished she had another dose of that stuff, but unarmed and alone, she pushed past you and ran for the safety of a crowded party. Before she reached the door, she was pulled back by her arm and thrown to the floor. The haunting face of the plague doctor looming over her, "Y/N?" She asked softly.  
  
For a moment you hesitated, but then pulled away the mask, revealing a sinister grin, "Do I know you, little intruder?"  
  
Lena gasped as the words forming her response were stopped short by you hauling her off the ground and pushing her up against the door. Lena fought back and you gave just as good as you got; the scuffle being more of a throwing contest than a fist fight. After already losing her hat and wig, Lena had an idea as she saw them laying on the floor. She recalled Proxy's voice, " _Even if there's just a small amount of emotion left...there's hope_."  
  
She quickly removed the mask obscuring her face and said your name once more as you advanced on her for the umteenth time that night. You stopped moving, only staring at the woman before you. She began to step away from her place against the wall by the door and reached out. Lena jumped as the door behind her opened and three more Talon agents entered; two instantly restraining her as the other locked the door behind them.  
  
The three struggled to keep her restrained, but finally had her arms tied together and a piece of cloth in her mouth and tied around her head as a gag. The only other weapon your team had brought (apart from the gun you had hidden in your cloak) was held to her throat. You were snapped out of a reverie you were unaware you'd slipped in to when your friend, Abraham, spoke, "You get the honours, Y/N." He said handing you his knife with a grin on his face.  
  
You took it.  
  
Good. That would make this much quieter.  
  
\-------------------------------------  
  
Lena squeezed her eyes shut after seeing you take that knife. She prayed Proxy or Weitz would come and knock the door down; swoop in and save the day...but they didn't. In fact, she hadn't heard either of them in her ear for a while now. She kept her eyes closed even as she heard short gasps and chokes. She imagined you getting closer to her, holding the knife in front of you, those shocked gasps and choked noises coming from the Talon agents, either in anticipation or in disbelief that you would actually kill her. Lena held her breath as she felt your presence right in front of her. She waited for the sting of the blade against her throat or through her chest. It never came. Instead, she felt your body loom over hers as your hands undid the binds holding her own hands behind her back. She opened her eyes slowly as you took the gag from her mouth and threw it on the floor. Lena watched it fall and as she did, she noticed the blood. Pools of blood around your feet; spilling from the Talon members that had bound her.  
  
She looked up into your face and saw a level of confusion on your features she'd never seen before. It was as if you were fighting an internal battle, unsure of which side you wanted to win. You stepped back suddenly and ran towards an external window. Using that grappling hook Lena had seen before, you fled into the still darkness of the night.  
  
Lena's sense began to return and she could hear the party still going on as if this room didn't even belong to the same mansion. She called into her comm softly, "Weitz? Proxy?"  
  
There was some sort of muffled interference, then Proxy's voice came through, albeit a little panicked, "Lena? Oh man, Lena. Are you alright? Did you get Y/N?"  
  
"Not exactly." Lena stood slowly and looked helplessly at the bodies around her; three dead and one slurring and half-asleep. She sighed deeply and looked at the window you'd left open in your wake, "What happened? Why couldn't I hear you?"  
  
"Sombra." Lena could practically hear Proxy roll her eyes, "It's alright now, I think she left...in a hurry it seems."  
  
"Yeah. I think I know why." Lena looked once more at the carnage before her sullenly, "I hope this Dumont guy hired a 'no-questions-asked' kind of cleaner." She sighed again, "Let's go. Weitz, meet us at the car."  
  
"But what about..."  
  
"Do as she says Weitz." Proxy responded, a hint of saddness to her voice that Lena thought could only mean she had figured out that Lena had lost you again.  
  
Lena picked up her mask, wig and hat and replaced them on her head before she climbed out of the window you'd fled through and onto a ledge. She made her way down the outside of the house just like Genji had shown her and met up with Proxy and Weitz at the car. She didn't speak as she got in with her head hanging low. Proxy and Weitz gave each other concerned looks before getting in and beginning the journey back to Proxy's hideout.  
  
Lena watched the world fly by the window as she wondered where you were. Surely you wouldn't go back to Talon now? Did you actually kill those people to save her? Did you remember who she was? Did you...still love her?  
  
She blinked away the tears that formed at the throughts racing through her mind as she felt Weitz lay his hand on her shoulder. Her former Overwatch teammate looked at Proxy through the rear view mirror and she offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile before looking back at the road ahead.  
  
\-------------------------------------  
  
You stopped dead in your tracks at the edge of the ridge above the city, the sparkling lights and soft sounds amongst the blues and greys of midnight France outsretched before you. You clenched your eyes shut, but could not rid your head of the image of her face. Did you really want it to disappear anyway?  
  
Those deep, brown eyes bore into yours as if she stood right in front of you. You opened your own...just in case. She wasn't there, not physically, but as you stared ahead into the cooling night, it occured to you that she's always been present in your mind; even if she'd been pushed back to the far reaches by interferring evils.  
  
Seeing her again brought the image back to the forefront...where it belonged. It invigorated you. She had flicked some sort of switch within you and slowly you were beginning to remember what it felt like to be home.  
  
As the memories and feelings rushed your brain and your newly vigorous heart, a spark was lit. A spark that turned into a flame. A flame that grew into a crackling fire. A fire that had once raged in years before and had since been lowered to a crackle by dark hands, but never fully extinguished. You turned back and strode with purpose; longing to find the only hands that could rekindle the fire back to its full raging glory. The reason it had always crackled and never faded, even under waves of negative influence. The reason why the fire within you...  
  
...was imperishable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be it, folks! I didn't know where this was going and I feel like my writing on this one has not been as good as it could be. I really hope I did a decent enough job for the original requester. Sorry if it's disappointing.
> 
> If anyone decides they want to continue it, feel free (and send me a link to read), but this is my ending.


End file.
